End of La Liga duopoly, rise of Atletico Madrid and its players

Zee Media Bureau/Jayanta Oinam

Madrid: It seems, La Liga is heading for three-way tie. After years of duopoly, football fans around the world have finally got to see a three-way title-fight in Spain. The rise of Atletico Madrid, as a title contender augurs well for the well-being of football in the Iberian nation. In the threshold of becoming one of the most successful teams ever, the current Spanish team under the charismatic Vicente del Bosque, are coping with age and redundancy in style. Spain are the reigning world champions and have successfully defended the European title in 2012, thus making these congregation of players as one of the greatest in the history. It`s interesting, though, that most of the Spanish national team players are from the uber-successful factories of Barcelona and Real Madrid – the two forces which have dominated the Spanish football in all possible ways, for more than a decade. The famed nurseries of La Masia and La Fabrica have continuously churned out players of excellent disposition such as Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta, Cesc Fabregas, Sergio Busquets, Carles Puyol, Iker Casillas, Alvaro Arbeloa, Juan Mata, etc to help the country conquer the footballing world. Now, it seems another club is ready to join the fray and contribute in the national team`s success. Often regarded as the poor cousin of the capital club, Real Madrid, Atleti have made considerable stride in the last one year. They have won the 2012-13 Copa del Rey title, defeating the eternal favourites Real Madrid. Besides the domestic cup win, they have also tasted success in the continental front, lifting the European Super Cup trophy after destroying the Champions League winners, Chelsea in an one-off final. The confidence gained under Diego Simone has helped Atletico Madrid achieve the unthinkable – competing against the top two. Under Diego Simeone`s stewardship, they are now giving frights to both Barcelona and Real Madrid. The Rojiblancos are currently in the second position in La Liga, trailing the defending champions Barca, on goal difference. This new found success has allowed many of the players to look beyond the club ranks. Players like Koke, Juanfran, David Villa, and interestingly Brazil-born Diego Costa now can hope for a starting XI in the national squad. Their collective rise as club players – loyal and hard-working, has helped in enlarging the base for national team selection. With age catching up with most of the players in the current Spanish squad, it`s indeed an excellent chance for players from other clubs to join the Spanish Armada.